


Sweet Child of Mine

by Silver_Shortage_in_Markarth



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Abandonment, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Child Abandonment, Childbirth, Gen, Implied/Referenced Pregnancy, Post-Time Skip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-21
Updated: 2019-05-03
Packaged: 2020-01-23 04:07:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18541951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silver_Shortage_in_Markarth/pseuds/Silver_Shortage_in_Markarth
Summary: Believe it or not, Niccolo gave Sasha more than just good food.Now, Connie and Jean learn of the true product of that relationship, and go to seek it out.





	1. Chapter 1

One very late night, in a small kitchen that was part of an equally small cottage, Niccolo was putting together a quick if not inferior meal. He hadn't brought too much of the ingredients for what he was concocting, but it wasn't as if he were cooking for an entire military unit. This time, it was for only one person.

That person was in the only other room of the house, moaning in pain and discomfort. Occasionally, she cried out for meat. Niccolo, of course, was intending to give it to her. In the moments she wasn't begging for her beloved meat, the plaintive bleating of a newborn could be heard. Said newborn was making it a little hard to concentrate on the soup he was cooking.

When Niccolo and Sasha declared that they'd be gone for a few months, the others had their suspicions in regards to why (said suspicions were understandable, and most likely correct). He tried to pass it off as needing a taste tester for any new dishes he intended to learn, but nobody seemed to believe him.

"Just bring her back in the same condition as she is now," Jean had said as he, Connie, and the others waved goodbye. It was obvious what he'd meant by that. In the hopes that it would throw all of them off, the two decided to stay for a month and a half or so longer.

Having the child be a week overdue would also help buy time later on.

"Niccolo!" he could hear Sasha's voice deliriously calling for him now, over their baby's soft cries. "Food!" The way she spoke made it clear that the whole ordeal took a lot out of her. He was a bit out of it too, having to help her deliver, but he decided to push his own complaints aside to keep helping her out.

After a few more minutes of stirring (and making sure what he made was actually semi edible), Niccolo ladled a bit of the soup (making sure to get as much beef into it as possible) into a nearby bowl. Then, he set that onto a tray, (along with a glass of water and a small piece of bread) carrying it into the other room.

...

It had taken fourteen hours, a lot of screaming and bleeding, and at least several vile expletives directed at her child's father, but Sasha had managed to do it. She was exhausted, sweaty, and panting, but the worst of it was over now.

Now, her newborn daughter lay in a basket, right next to her on the bed. Besides the occasional (and very brief) glance over at her, Sasha didn't really look at her much. She was trying not to get too attached to the baby, as per Niccolo's request. It wasn't working. It'd only taken a moment of looking at her to fall completely in love.

Even so, Sasha tried to hold back her tears; there was no way she and Niccolo could bring this little girl back with them. It would only complicate the current matters they were all dealing with.

Sasha was trying not to fall asleep before she'd eaten whatever it was Niccolo had made her. This was hard to do; her body was just so weak from giving birth. In fact, her legs were still trembling somewhat.

Finally, Niccolo arrived with what he'd made just for her.


	2. Chapter 2

"It might be best for you to sit up to have all this," Niccolo told Sasha while bringing over the bowl of soup he'd just finished cooking up for her.

When she did sit upright, Sasha's disheveled appearance became even more obvious. The usual ponytail she donned was now currently undone, with her long frizzy hair having been splayed out over the pillow. Nearby, a nightgown with a massive blood stain on the crotch was balled up on a table. 

Sasha watched as Niccolo blew on the first spoonful, with a vacant expression like that of a fish. Her mouth was barely open, which made it just a little easier to get the soup into it once it cooled down enough. 

"After this, you go right to sleep, okay?" Niccolo's voice took on a slight bit of sternness, making it clear that it was a demand, not a request. "It isn't a good idea to be walking about right after having a baby."

With another spoonful of beef and seaweed in her mouth, Sasha merely nodded. She then looked to the basket as she chewed, feeling her chest ache at the sight of her infant daughter. Once she swallowed, she turned back to stare at her feet. 

"I don't wanna let her go," she muttered. It was really beginning to sink in that she was a mother now. At least, she was in the sense that she'd had a child. She so desperately wanted to keep this little one. 

Sasha knew this wasn't an option, though. This was all the time that they were going to have together. Before long, she and Niccolo would have to rejoin the others. Were they to bring back a child, it would only confirm suspicions (and maybe bring on some degree of teasing). 

This knowledge weighed on her like an anvil. But she stayed quiet about all of this, and just kept eating. 

...

When Sasha had eaten and drank everything Niccolo offered her, she knew what would come next. Before she lay back down to rest, however, she made a simple request to Niccolo. 

Now, Sasha was holding her baby close, listening to the little squawks and cries that came from her. She and Niccolo didn't say anything to each other, and just fawned over the life they'd created together. They remained that way for a little while, before Sasha handed her over. Despite the attempts to rationalize, it was just so hard to say goodbye. 

Niccolo was quick to get everything prepared. First off, he grabbed the basket near Sasha's head and set the child back into it. Then, he found a towel that could be used as a makeshift baby blanket. Lastly, he donned a Survey Corps cloak he'd been borrowing from her; it would make slipping away undetected a little easier, hopefully. 

The whole time he worked, Sasha watched him with tired eyes. It was by the time he began composing a note (telling whoever found the child to care for them well) that she could feel her eyes becoming heavier. Still, she attempted to keep her eyes open as long as possible. She only closed them when he left the room with the basket carrying their child. 

Before she drifted off to sleep, the last thing Sasha heard was the sound of a horse neighing. This was followed by Niccolo making the noise prompting it to go, and the gradually fading sound of hooves against dirt. 

Suffice it to say, she would not ever see her daughter again. 

...

It was still a relatively late hour by the time Niccolo reached town. He wasted no time in regards to his task; the instant he jumped off the horse, he was frantically looking about for the nearest orphanage. 

Few, if any lights were on; besides the occasional torch lit up on the outside of a house, it was near impossible to make out a whole lot of details. Niccolo remained undeterred, however, and kept walking.

On one arm, the reins on the horse were tangled up and held onto to make it harder for the horse to flee. Under the other arm was the basket containing his newborn daughter. He could hear her making noises of distress, like she knew what precisely was going on. 

It wasn't as though Niccolo didn't want the child; far from it. He wanted to keep her very much. She was his daughter, after all. The prospects for her living with the scouts were slim, however; trying to rebuild and fortify a nation was no circumstance for a child to grow up in. 

After what felt like an eternity (it was really only about a half hour that had elapsed), he finally found a place to leave her. When he got close enough, he tied the horse to a nearby fencepost and approached the front door. He was made painfully aware of each step closer he took. 

When the baby started fussing, Niccolo shushed her. He gently ran a finger down her soft cheek, doing his best to comfort her. He only stopped when he stood directly in front of the door. 

"Just know that this is the best option for you," he whispered to her while kneeling to set her down. "Trust me, you'll have a good life here. A much better one than what you would have with me and the Scouts." As he talked, Niccolo patted himself down and pulled out the note he'd written, setting it on top of her. 

The last thing he did before preparing to depart was take something else out from under his cloak; hopefully, were she to ever grow up (and provided he and Sasha were still alive by then), it would lend a clue to her birth. That was to say, if she ever wanted to find out anyway. 

With his task completed, Niccolo raised his fist and rapidly yet loudly knocked against the door. Before anyone could wake up and answer it, he was running away and jumping back onto his horse. 

He didn't even so much as look back at his daughter; it would've been too difficult (and painful) to keep going if he did. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes [seaweed soup](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miyeok-guk) is a thing


	3. Chapter 3

**_-A few years later-_ **

"Oh, Rosemary!" The grey haired, fifty something director called out to the girl while peeking into the bunk room. "Are you still in here? The other children are already outside playing tag! Did you not wish to play with them?" 

Rosemary looked up from the small collection of handmade toys she'd gotten for her birthdays over the years. She shook her head wordlessly; talking never did come easy for her. She preferred to be left by herself to do her own thing.

"Such a shy little girl," the orphanage director told her while stepping in to get a closer look. "You have been ever since the day you came to this place." Here she cocked her head before continuing. "I wonder; what could be the key to unlocking that sweet voice of yours?" She reached over to tap Rosemary on the forehead.

"Well, in the meantime, perhaps you may help with cleaning up the dining room. No sense in frittering away valuable time, am I correct?" Knowing it was best not to try and argue, Rosemary nodded. She then hid all but one of her toys under the pillow of her bed, and followed after her. 

...

As she swept the floor around and under the dining tables, Rosemary could hear the sound and laughter of the other kids outside, all quite happy. It was a welcome change from screaming and gunfire, which formed a good part of her childhood thus far. 

Now that the dispute between Eldia and Marley had finally been resolved, things were beginning to settle down and bring forth some version of actual peace. It made some things a little boring, though. 

While she was momentarily distracted, Rosemary could hear the director talking with one of the cooks in charge of feeding the orphans.

"You tell that girl in there about what she received yet, Gertrude?" The cook asked of the director. 

"No, not yet, Brenda. Dunno how I'm going to. It'd probably be a shock to for her after all these years..."

In all the time she lived here, Rosemary never got anything; no gifts from well-meaning relatives, no birthday cards, and no pen pal letters either. It got awfully lonely here for her. From what she was hearing from those two now, though, that was about to change. 

To make it look like she wasn't eavesdropping, however, she picked her broom back up and continued with her sweeping. She kept sweeping even when the kids outside changed in their general chatter. The director heard it, though, and dashed outside to check it out. 

...

"Can you adopt me, mister?" One of the orphans asked of the newcomers. 

"No, adopt me!" Said another. "I've been a super good child all my life."

Being swarmed by children of various sizes, Connie and Jean had to try and practically wade through all of them to reach the front door. 

"You just _had_ to bring _me_ along for this, didn't you?" Jean inquired in a voice tinged with annoyance. As he continued walking, both he and Connie had to try and shake off the kids that had begun to climb them like they were trees. "You could've asked Armin, or Mikasa. Hell, maybe even Hitch would've somehow worked for doing whatever we're here for.

"But _no_ , you had to drag _me_ along-"

"Jean." It was clear that Connie was tired of Jean's bellyaching. "Shut up." With that, both men finally managed to reach the door, though not before one of the bigger children grabbed Jean's hat off of his head. He wasn't able to turn around to try and get it back, though. 

Instead, the two knocked as well as they could (a couple of the children were still pulling at their shirts), and waited for the door to be answered. 


	4. Chapter 4

Director Gertrude was all smiles and courtesy when she greeted Connie and Jean at the door. It were as if she were pointedly ignoring the ruckus outside caused by the other children. Rather, she led them both into the main room and gestured for them to take a seat. 

"I apologize for not expecting the both of you, gentlemen," she told them while she frittered about to grab things to make them feel welcome. "Surely you don't mind having to wait a few minutes for tea to boil? I'm sure Brenda wouldn't mind making some, and-"

"We're fine," Jean said to her as put his feet up on the table. "Me and Connie aren't exactly tea drinkers, anyway." Gertrude saw this, and was none too pleased about it; her front of being a good host vanished quickly. Even so, she tried to at least be polite to the two of them. 

"So what brings you here to our humble little orphanage?" To answer her question, Connie pulled out a piece of stationary that looked much like what Rosemary's letter had been written. "I see...Well, then. I'll see if I can find her."

She stood up and went to find Rosemary. Once she was gone, Jean sniffed the air a couple of times, then cringed. 

"This place smells like witch hazel."

...

Rosemary's sweeping had brought her back to the bunk room when Director Gertrude found her again. She was quick to bring her out by grabbing her wrist and dragging her back to the other room. In the process, Rosemary dropped her broom, unable to reach back to get it. 

"Leave it there," Gertrude told her. "Chances are you won't be seeing it again after today." She was pulling her along so quickly, Rosemary actually stumbled over her own feet once or twice. 

Once they reached the doorway to the other room, Director Gertrude brushed the girl down thoroughly, ridding her of any potential dust or dirt she might have picked up. When Rosemary looked presentable enough, she was then pulled directly into the other room. 

The two men that awaited her proceeded to gain widened eyes, before quickly shaking their heads and composing themselves. Gertrude sat back down across from them and waited until Rosemary was beside her. When she came over, she noticed that she still carried the well-loved and well-used doll with her. 

"This would be her," Gertrude told Connie and Jean as she gestured to the side of her. "Now, I will warn you. In all the years she's been here, not once have I heard a peep out of her. I don't know if she's deaf, mute, just very stupid, or any combination of the three, but-"

"Hi," came the girl's voice from behind her doll. Right away, Director Gertrude was stunned into complete silence. The two men, on the other hand, were in complete awe at this girl. Jean placed an arm onto the table and leaned in closer to get a better look at her. 

"I'll be damned," he said to Connie as he leaned back into his chair. "She looks just like her mom." Connie could only really nod. 

...

Even though Rosemary was aware that these two men were complete strangers, somehow she felt at ease with them. Now, as she and the two of them sat outside while she played with her ever present doll, she felt as if she could divulge any secret she'd known her life. 

"Do you two really know my mommy?" She asked them when she paused for a bit. 

Connie grinned and nodded. "Jean and I were really good friends with her. From the time since our training days, she and I were like twins." His grin then faded. "It was devastating to see her die right before our very eyes in that airship. It was just like a nightmare." 

Now it was Jean's turn to go silent, and look away. He knew full well what he was talking about. Connie went on. 

"But I bet if she could've kept you, -and trust me, she really wanted to. _Really_ badly-, she'd have been the best mother she could possibly be. Basically, your mother's been dead for a few years now, and it still haunts me." 

"And what about my daddy?" To Rosemary's question, Connie looked over to Jean. The two made eye contact, before Jean shook his head. The message Jean was trying to send was a clear one:

_Don't tell her that._

"It's best you not know what happened with him, Rose," he said as he looked back. With a sense of desperation, he changed the subject. "So what is that you're playing with anyway?" 

Rosemary's doll looked weird; it certainly wasn't anything that most children played with. It had the upper body of a woman, but the lower body of a fish. Going by a quick once over, its hair was made of black yarn in the process of fraying. Clearly, Rosemary cherished it very much from the look of it.

"Do you like her?" She asked of him as she held it out for the two men to see better. "Director Gertrude told me she's something called a 'mermaid'. She showed me pictures, too. In a book." 

Jean reached over and took the doll out of Rosemary's grasp. He flopped it back and forth in his grip, before staring at it closer. 

"Kind of ratty looking, if you ask me." 


	5. Chapter 5

"Looks like it wasn't just appearance that Rose got from her mother," Jean commented later when he, Connie and Rosemary were eating what must've been beef and noodles. Rosemary seemed much more fond of the beef itself, all but ignoring the rest of it. 

Connie simply nodded before replying with "I'll say!" For once, the grin on his face wasn't a fake one to mask any depressing thoughts. This time, it showcased authentic joy and happiness. 

Both men continued to watch Rosemary shovel beef into her mouth, seeming happy as a clam while doing so. Each spoonful only seemed to reassure them that the choice they had made was the correct one. 

"Make sure you don't choke now," Connie said to her when she paused to chew. "We don't want to have our visit here to be for nothing." 

Rosemary tilted her head, uncertain as to what he was getting at. Jean covered Connie's mouth to stop him from saying any more. 

"We'll explain after dinner, okay?"

...

Once more, Rosemary clutched her mermaid doll tightly against her chest. As she stood outside the room designated as the main office, she could hear the muffled speech from all three of them. 

"But surely one of the other children would be more suitable to care for, gentlemen," Director Gertrude tried convincing Connie and Jean against what they were intending to do. "She barely speaks! Until she met you two, she never spoke a word!" But neither man would be swayed. 

"Look," Connie told her, sufficiently annoyed. "I know which child I was looking for when I got here, and I know beyond a doubt that it's her! None of the other kids here have a connection I was seeking. I was told by her own dad that the one with the fish-woman doll was my best friend's daughter."

"And even if she didn't have the stupid thing," Jean piped up, "It's kind of hard to ignore the fact that she just looks like a smaller version of her mom." 

Going by all the times she'd seen herself in a mirror, Rosemary wondered precisely how true that statement was. 

Still, Director Gertrude persisted. "Well, even so, I require proof that you truly are connected to the parents, regardless of whether or not either of them are still living."

Gertrude was simply not going to give this all up. Despite their best efforts, Connie and Jean were unable to persuade her into taking Rosemary home with them. 

Both men walked out of the room with defeated looking expressions. The director was walking right behind them, escorting the two out herself. 

"Now, I recommend that you gentlemen leave. It is becoming quite late, and the other children are unable to focus on their tasks with you here." She then went back over to grab hold of Rosemary's wrist again while the both of them were leaving.

"And as for you, it seems your would-be saviors aren't going to be at your aid after all. Best you get reacquainted with your friend the broom. There's still much sweeping to be done before bedtime, after all."

Connie and Jean didn't like the way Gertrude was holding Rosemary. There didn't seem to be much they could do about it, though.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh wow this is probably the worst ending to anything I've written

The next morning, Director Gertrude was sifting through yet another batch of mail, when something really caught her eye. It wasn't often that the orphanage received a letter directly from Queen Historia herself. To say the least, she was in awe. 

"Oh my!" She declared while opening the envelope, taking care not to wreck the important looking wax seal. "I feel as though our luck is about to change!" While the older woman scurried into her office, Rosemary continued to play with her other toys, as well as her mermaid doll.

Though, her mind was more occupied with the visit she had yesterday. According to what the two men had told her, she was effectively a very important person to them both. That alone made it certain that maybe, just maybe, her own luck would be the one changing. 

As she listened to Gertrude read the letter out loud to herself, she could hear the excitement fading from her voice. The contents of the letter were obviously not good: 

"It has come to my attention that you have refused the adoption of a girl in desperate need of a home," she repeated the letter to herself, to make certain she wasn't missing anything. "The two who have visited you recently are in fact two good friends of mine. To refuse the adoption they chose to make, I find unacceptable.

"Oh, I'll tell you what is unacceptable, Your Majesty!" Director Gertrude said. "Making friends with two men who cannot be trusted." She kept reading. "Should you refuse to let this adoption go through, it will reflect badly upon your orphanage in particular. I urge you to reconsider your harsh decision. Signed, Her Royal Highness, Queen Historia Reiss." 

Briefly, it was quiet. Then Rosemary heard a frustrated huff. 

"If the Queen herself is telling me to allow it, then I suppose I've no choice..." 

The director stepped out of her office, ignoring Rosemary as she walked off.

...

A little while later, Rosemary could hear the voices of the two men again in the other room. If she were to guess, this time would end more in their favor. This time, she was right, if the way Gertrude came in and led her out to see them both again were any indication. 

The moment she gazed upon Connie and Jean again, a big smile unraveled across her face. No longer could she control herself; the moment Director Gertrude let go of her, she was practically flying into Connie's arms. Connie was more than willing to give her everything she needed. 

It was then a few days afterwards. Rosemary (or just 'Rose', as Connie and Jean were fond of calling her) was following both men to some unspecified location in the graveyard. Ahead of them, Connie and Jean were talking about what the both of them had done to get things in order. 

"I hope Historia isn't too upset with us for asking her help with adopting Rosemary," Connie said while reaching a hand into a picnic basket he was carrying on his other arm. 

Jean shrugged, snorting as well as shaking his head. "Hey, the alternative was kidnapping her from that place. Last I checked, that would have been the worst idea since, well, ever. I can't help but think Sasha would be haunting both our asses if we ended up doing  _that_.

"And besides," he went on while glancing behind his shoulder at her, "she might be a good playmate for Historia's kid. So everybody wins, I suppose." All three of them then stopped at a grave that was already beginning to show a bit of wear. Rosemary watched, clutching her mermaid doll tightly, as both men set out a blanket and sat down on it. 

Connie set the basket down in the middle of the blanket, patting a spot in between him and Jean for Rosemary to sit on. She was happy to oblige. 

"Guess we better get started with introductions, eh?" He straightened up and looked to the grave before them. 

"Hey Sasha," he began, as if he were just initiating any other conversation. "You'll never guess who Jean and I found..." Rosemary kept quiet, listening in on the relatively brief speech Connie had to say. "Yeah, we found Rose. Took us a while, but we knew it was her."

"Yeah," Jean then cut in here. "Like finding you if you'd ended up shrinking about a foot or two." 

Connie waved him off, then continued. "Yeah, so...your daughter's home now, Sasha. We found her, and she's home now." He looked at Rosemary, and nodded once to give her permission to say her greeting: 

"...Hi, Mommy."


End file.
